June 20, 2024
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.’’
- Gen 1:28 KJV
Today, let us journey back in time to the garden where humanity's story began - Eden, a place of unparalleled beauty, harmony, and communion with God. It was a place where humanity walked hand in hand with the Creator, where the bond between God and His creation was unbroken, and where every aspect of life reflected His glory. As perfect as this union was, sin came and disrupted that perfect relationship between God and man. As a result, man incurred an immeasurable loss.
In Genesis 27:38, we see Esau weeping because he lost the blessing of his father Isaac. And in 1 Samuel 30: 3-4 David and his mighty men wept uncontrollably when their wives and children were captured as though they never had any authority.
As weighty as all these losses were in the lives of these men, they were nothing compared to what was lost in the garden of Eden.
Man lost many things in the garden of Eden; one was the loss of authority. In Genesis 1:28, God gave man dominion over all that He made and made him overseer in the garden of Eden.
The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. Genesis 2:15 NLT
However, Adam was not aware of a spiritual principle at work in Romans 6:16a NLT- Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? When man obeyed the devil, he lost that authority to the devil. Anytime you obey the dictates of the flesh and its lust, you are handing over the authority and dominion given to you by God to these longings.
Have you noticed situations you have once overcome now seem like a mountain before you? Have you seen a child you have nurtured in obedience now no longer wanting to listen? Are there instances in your workplace where it seems you have fallen out of favour with those who matter in that organization? Peradventure, you found yourself going back to the habits, and things you stopped doing and it seems you can no longer control your desires. These are all indications of the loss of authority.
Yet, in this brokenness, there remains a call—a call to return to Eden, not as a physical place, but as a state of being, a state of restored communion with God.
As the Lord lives, everywhere you have lost authority, be restored today in Jesus' name. In this season, whatever it is that you have lost that makes you sad, or cry, may the Lord restore unto you this day.
Song of Worship
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
Song by Fanny Crosby
Prayer - Lord, I pray for a restoration of my relationship with You. May I draw near to You in prayer and meditation on Your Word, finding comfort and solace in Your presence. Help me to find our identity and worth in You alone, knowing that my authority ultimately comes from my obedience to Your word.
Bible in 1 year: Esther 1-2; Acts 5